CNET Editors' Rating

The BadLack of cover for the camera; lack of Wi-Fi; camera mode switch is a little tough to move.

The Bottom LineThis is one of LG's best phones yet. If you're looking for a good camera phone the LG Viewty is definitely worth checking out. From the vibrating touchscreen interface to the YouTube video capabilities and photo-editing app, we liked what it had to offer and think you will too

Review Sections

The LG Viewty KU990 might sound like it's a digital photo frame but it's actually LG's latest camera phone that features an impressive 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and xenon flash.

Not only can this handset brag about its camera, but it should also be very proud of its lovely large touchscreen, which lets you view images easily. On top of this, it has the ability to upload videos directly to YouTube and to shoot video at 120 frames per second, which allows you to slow it down and watch it in slow-motion, as seen in the clip below. This feature's ideal for shooting fast-moving sports footage.

LG has told us that the LG KU990 Viewty will be available on all major networks. Pricing is yet to be confirmed but it's likely to be free on a monthly contract of around £30 to £40 per month.

Design
Many camera phones take good pictures but don't look that great themselves -- fortunately the LG KU990 Viewty is not an ugly camera phone. In fact, we can go so far as to say it's one of the best-looking camera phones we've seen so far.

In line with LG's latest and greatest handsets, the KU990 has an understated design that feels functional but also exudes a certain amount of class. It feels light but not plasticky and looks more like a high-end handset than the cheap LG phones we've seen in the past.

Similar to the LG Prada and Apple's iPhone, the KU990 features a large touchscreen with three mechanical keys at the bottom, the end and send call keys, and the cancel key. While the touchscreen is prone to fingerprints and scratches, it is very attractive.

Positioned at the top-left section of the back of the handset is the KU990's star feature, a 5-megapixel camera, which disappointingly isn't protected by a lens cover. Next to the camera is xenon flash and autofocus light, similar to on the Sony Ericsson K810i.

Around the side of the camera is an interesting rocker disc that you can push up and down to scroll through menu options, adjust the volume during calls and zoom in and out in camera mode, among other things. It's an interesting concept but not always easy to press and we would have preferred a standard rocker key.

The KU990 comes with a 5-megapixel camera with xenon flash but there's no cover

On the right side of the KU990 are two dedicated camera keys and a switch to change modes. The mode switch is a little tough to change at times but the shutter key is well-sized and very easy to press, which isn't always the case on camera phones.

Features
Compared to the majority of other touchscreens, the KU990's screen is
very responsive and can be set to vibrate when you touch it, which
provides more tactile feedback than when you simply tap a flat display.

Similar to the LG Prada's interface, the KU990's software interface
features finger-friendly icons and an attractive layout. Many reviewers
have said they found it difficult to tap the small icons but we didn't
have any problems with them at all.

The LG KU990’s large touchscreen cleverly vibrates when you touch it

Dialling and messaging is straightforward via a numeric or
alphabetic keypad that works identically to a standard mobile phone
keypad minus the mechanical keys, and is aided by the vibrating
feedback feature. The messaging interface also allows for handwriting
input but we found it slower than just tapping the virtual keypad.

The KU990's proprietary Web browser is one of the best browsers we
have seen on a mobile phone. Similar to the iPhone's browser, you can
view full-sized Web pages at a reduced size and then zoom in on the
sections you want to see properly.

Web pages loaded relatively quickly but we did notice some lag,
which may have been caused by network issues or possibly our review
unit. The KU990 comes with HSDPA, so theoretically you should be able
to download pages at up to 1.8Mbps, which is almost as fast as many
people's broadband connections at home.

There's no Wi-Fi, which is a shame but if you're on a flat-rate data
plan then we think HSDPA is a better option, otherwise watch out as
data charges can be hefty.

Interestingly, you can upload videos directly to YouTube and
download them too, but unfortunately our review model didn't have the
app pre-installed so we're not sure how well it works. We're assured it
will be installed on the final model.

From the back the KU990 looks like a standalone digital camera

We could test out the camera though, which curiously can shoot video
at 120 frames per second. At first we weren't entirely sure why this
was necessary but it's actually great for capturing fast-moving action
and then viewing it in slow motion, as shown in the video earlier.